Yoshiyuki Shiba

Japanese: 斯波義将 - しば・よしゆき

Year of death: May 7, 17th year of the Oei period (June 9, 1410)
Year of birth: Kan'o 1/Shohei 5 (1350)
A military commander during the Northern and Southern Courts and Muromachi periods. The fourth son of Takatsune. Jibu Daifu, Saemonnosuke, and Uemonnosuke. Commonly read as "Yoshimasa." He was called Kaneyukojidono because of the location of his residence in Kyoto, and was also called Gyokudo, following his father's example. In 1395 (Oei 2), he followed Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and became a monk, taking the name Michimasa and also calling himself Yukikei. In 1362 (Seiji 1/Seihei 17), with the strong support of his father, he became a steward for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiakira at the age of 13, but this caused opposition from Sasaki Doyo, the father-in-law of his half-brother Ujiyori, who held great power within the shogunate, and in 1368 (Seiji 5/Seihei 21), Takatsune and Yoshimasa were exiled and fled back to Echizen (Fukui Prefecture). However, after Takatsune's death the following year, Yoshimasa was pardoned and returned to his post as Shugo of Ecchu (Toyama Prefecture), where he suppressed the resistance of the Momoi clan, the previous Shugo, and restored his political status. He soon came into conflict with Kanrei Hosokawa Yoriyuki, and in 1379, he chased Yoriyuki and became Kanrei himself. He then exchanged Shugo positions with Echizen Shugo Hatakeyama Motonori, regaining control of Echizen, which could be considered his home province. In 1391, he resigned from his position as Kanrei, but served twice more thereafter. He also looked after his eldest son Yoshinori and his eldest grandson Yoshiatsu during their tenures as Kanrei from 1405, meaning that, excluding his initial term under the protection of his father Takatsune, he played a central role in the shogunate for a total of 22 years. After Yoshimitsu died without a successor being appointed, Yoshimasa maintained the position of Ashikaga Yoshimochi, who was already Shogun, and rejected Yoshimitsu's favorite Ashikaga Yoshitsugu, and when the late Yoshimitsu was offered the title of Retired Emperor, he had him decline it. Through these and other steady and calm management, he contributed to the enhancement of the shogunate. He brought the Shiba clan to its heyday by adding Kaga (Ishikawa Prefecture), Shinano (Nagano Prefecture), Owari (Aichi Prefecture), and Totomi (Shizuoka Prefecture) to his domains (Shinano became a shogunate province in 1406), and by doing so, he brought about the heyday of the Shiba clan. He was deeply interested in Zen Buddhism and was skilled in linked verse and waka poetry, with a total of 13 poems included in the Shin Goshui Wakashu and Shin Shokin Wakashu. He was also taught gagaku by Toyohara Nobuaki, and was also a painter, demonstrating his versatility. The Yanagiwara Family Records report that people of the time mourned Yoshimasa's death, saying, "He was a key figure in the military of the time. A family tragedy."

(Akira Kawamura)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：応永17.5.7(1410.6.9)
生年：観応1/正平5(1350)
南北朝・室町時代の武将。高経の4男。治部大輔,左衛門佐,右衛門督。一般には「よしまさ」と読まれる。京都の邸宅があった場所から勘解由小路殿と呼ばれ,父にならって玉堂とも称された。応永2(1395)年将軍足利義満に従って出家し道将と号し,雪渓とも自称した。貞治1/正平17(1362)年,父の強い後援で13歳にして将軍足利義詮の執事になったが,異母兄氏頼の舅で幕府内で強大な権力を握っていた佐々木道誉の反発を招き,貞治5/正平21年高経・義将父子は追放されて越前(福井県)に逃げ帰った。しかし,翌年高経の死後許されて義将は越中(富山県)守護に復帰し,前守護桃井氏一族の抵抗を鎮圧して政治的地位を回復した。やがて管領細川頼之と対立を深め,康暦1/天授5(1379)年には頼之を追って自ら管領の職についた。次いで越前守護畠山基国と守護職を交換して本国ともいえる越前を回復している。明徳2/元中8(1391)年いったん管領職を辞するが,その後も2度管領を務めた。また応永12(1405)年からの嫡子義教,嫡孫義淳の管領在任中もこれを後見しており,父高経の庇護下にあった初任期を除いても合計22年間にわたり幕政の中枢を担ったことになる。後継者を決めずに義満が死んだのちは,すでに将軍についていた足利義持の地位を守って義満の寵愛した足利義嗣を退けたり,故義満に太上天皇号が贈られたときにはこれを辞退させるなど,堅実,沈着な運営で幕府の充実に貢献した。加賀(石川県),信濃(長野県),尾張(愛知県),遠江(静岡県)を分国に加えるなど(信濃は応永9年幕府料国となる),斯波氏全盛期をもたらした。禅宗に深い関心を寄せたほか連歌,和歌にも長じ,『新後拾遺和歌集』『新続古今和歌集』に合計13首が入る。また雅楽を豊原信秋から伝授されたり,絵も描くなど多芸多才ぶりを発揮した。『柳原家記録』は時の人が義将の死を「当世武門の重人也。一家の愁傷か」と悼んだと伝えている。

(河村昭一)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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